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Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)
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Wikipedia article
"'Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)'" is a song recorded by American singer Ashlee Simpson for her third studio album, 'Bittersweet World' (2008). The song premiered on AOL Music on November 30, 2007 and was released for digital download on December 11.
Background and composition
The song was first mentioned in a September 2007 MTV News article describing a sneak peek of Simpson's album; the article gave its title as "Ay Ay Ay". Simpson's father Joe Simpson joked that the song was about her mother Tina, while Tina replied that the song was also about Joe; Simpson herself said that it was "not about my mom. I just have too many voices in my head, everyone having their own opinion."Jennifer Vineyard, [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1569231/20070909/index.jhtml "Ashlee Simpson's Bad-Girl Alter Ego Rules New Timbaland-Produced Album"], MTV News, September 9, 2007.
On November 13, 2007, Simpson told MTV News at 'CosmoGIRL!'
Reception
Critical reception
Reviews of the single were mostly positive. In their review of the song, 'Billboard' noted that it was a "fun little romp, but ['Outta My Head'] may have difficulty returning Simpson to top 40 favor".Chuck Taylor. [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/content_display/reviews/singles/e3i5d4ee6c1f9636327afc09b191ba039c6 Producers: Timbaland, King Logan, Jerome Harmon]. 'Billboard'. Retrieved February 22, 2008. 'Entertainment Weekly's Simon Vozick-Levinson noted that although the song's "beat [was] catchy enough...her vocals are sorta grating".Simon Vozick-Levinson. [http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2007/12/ashlee-simpson.html Snap Judgement: Ashlee Simpson's "Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)" video]. December 20, 2007. Retrieved February 22, 2008. In its 'Bittersweet World' review, 'Rolling Stone' said that the song "channels Missing Persons",Caryn Ganz, [https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/ashleesimpson/albums/album/20256007/review/20256172/bittersweet_world 'Rolling Stone' review of 'Bittersweet World'] , May 1, 2008. while the 'Houston Chronicle' said in its album review that "Outta My Head" "has the same synth claps and skulking groove of Madonna's "Burning Up" and a booming, Devo-esque chorus."Joey Guerra, [http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/features/5718319.html 'Bittersweet World' review], 'Houston Chronicle', April 21, 2008. The New York 'Daily News', reviewing the album, said that "you won't be able to get a song like 'Outta My Head' outta yours".Jim Farber, [http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2008/04/22/2008-04-22_ashlee_simpsons_bittersweet_world_is_bac.html "Ashlee Simpson's 'Bittersweet World' is back in sync"], 'Daily News', April 22, 2008. 'The Washington Post' was more critical, describing the song as "an attempt at '80s synth-pop that winds up cribbing its melody from Men at Work".Allison Stewart, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/21/AR2008042102804.html "Ashlee's 'World': Overpopulated And Empty"], 'The Washington Post', April 22, 2008, page C01.Chart performance
"Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)" failed to impact radio in the U.S. upon its release.Keith Caulfield, [https://web.archive.org/web/20130331025222/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1046322/ask-billboard "OUTTA MY TRACKLIST" (Ask Billboard)], 'Billboard', March 7, 2008. It has sold about 117,000 digital downloads as of mid-March 2008,[http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1046148/ashlee-simpson-sets-date-for-third-album "Ashlee Simpson Sets Date For Third Album"], Billboard.com, March 17, 2008. and it reached number 21 on the Bubbling Under 'Billboard' Hot 100 chart, failing to chart on the 'Billboard' Hot 100. "Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)" is the only single from Simpson that did not join in the 'Billboard' Hot 100. On the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, "Outta My Head" debuted at number 30 and then rose to number sixteen in its second week in based solely on downloads. It then dropped to No. 22, then No. 31 in its fourth week only on downloads. In its fifth week it rose up to No. 22 and stayed in top thirty for over four weeks, due to its CD single release. The video was named as cable music station Channel V's "Ripe Clip of The Week". "Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)" is Simpson's first single in the United Kingdom since "Boyfriend" in early 2006. It was released to UK music channels on April 1, and received extensive airplay on most music channels, but received no Radio Airplay. It reached No. 1 on Box Breakers on The Box. On April 27, "Outta My Head" entered the UK Singles Chart at No. 34Neil Wilkes, [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/a94736/madonna-scores-second-week-at-no-1.html "Madonna scores second week at No. 1"], Digital Spy, April 27, 2008. on downloads alone; it then climbed to No. 24 in following weeks. So far "Outta My Head" has sold over 25,000 copies in the UK since April. "Outta My Head" was still in UK Singles Chart over 2 months after its official release. "Outta My Head" entered the Irish Singles Chart at No. 20 on downloads alone. It peaked at No. 15 after physical release, giving Simpson her fourth Top 20 hit in Ireland.Track listing
Music video
Background and release
Directed by Alan Ferguson,Jennifer Vineyard, [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1576229/20071211/simpson_ashlee.jhtml "Ashlee Simpson Hears Voices, Gets No Help From Timbaland In Surreal New Video"], MTV News, December 12, 2007. Simpson filmed the music video for the song over about 48 hoursInterview on 'The Sauce', February 27, 2008. on December 6– 7. The desert scenes were filmed on the first day in Acton, California,[http://music.yahoo.com/promo-42778155-200-20080317-autoplay "Being: Pepsi Smash Exclusive Webisode #1"], Yahoo.com. while the indoor straitjacket scene was filmed on the second day in Burbank, California. Kenna, a co-writer of the song, played a reporter in the video.[http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/--58597227 "Being: Pepsi Smash Exclusive Webisode #2"], Yahoo.com. In an interview with 'Billboard', she described the video as having surrealist influences, mentioning Salvador Dal and 'Being John Malkovich'.Jonathan Cohen, [http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1047110/ashlee-goes-surreal-for-new-video "Ashlee Goes 'Surreal' For New Video"], Billboard.com, December 7, 2007. Her boyfriend (now ex-husband) Pete Wentz described it as "probably the weirdest video I've seen of hers" and said that it, like the song, "has this kind of multiple personality". The video for the single premiered on December 19, and Simpson appeared on the December 20 episode of MTV's 'Total Request Live' for the video's premiere on the show.[http://www.atrl.net/trlarchive/?s=recap&y=2007&m=12episode 'TRL' recap for December 2007] at the TRL Archive. Simpson described the video as being "ambitious" and "like an art piece" and said that it involves going into "another world and never know[ing] what's real". The "Outta My Head" music video had been streamed over two million times as of March 2008.[http://sev.prnewswire.com/entertainment/20080320/LATH03320032008-1.html "Ashlee Simpson's BITTERSWEET WORLD Arrives April 22"] , Geffen press release (PRNewswire.com), March 20, 2008. By early September, the video had been viewed more than five million times on YouTube. As of July 2009 the video has been streamed over six and a half million times, making the video her most watched video on the social network YouTube.Synopsis
The video begins with Simpson lying on a couch in therapy; her therapist, apparently based on Sigmund Freud, has fallen asleep. Soon the walls of the office melt away into a surreal desert landscape (including a Dal-esque melting clock), where another, dark-haired version of Simpson sits atop a floating Rubik's Cube and the giant head of a statue in Simpson's likeness lies on the ground. There are also frequent flashes of Simpson on the couch in therapy again, this time in the desert rather than the office. Simpson is pursued by people but trips and falls to the ground. Afterwards she listens to a recording and begins singing along, but soon she is surrounded by interviewers, photographers (one of them having a camera for a head), and autograph-seekers, and she faints. When she awakes, she finds she has been tied up by tiny people; when she breaks free, she again awakes, this time in a bedroom. The bedroom wall is rolled away to reveal a studio set where another version of Simpson is singing and dancing. As the real Simpson watches from her bed, where an interviewer appears and begins asking her questions, the robot Simpson eventually malfunctions and begins to explode, falling to the ground. Simpson tries to escape from this scene, fighting off interviewers and cameramen, but is captured by doctors from a mental institution and taken away in an ambulance. In her room, Simpson, now in a straitjacket, finds herself again surrounded by interviewers and cameramen; this time she bounces off the walls and spins around in the air as the video ends."Outta My Head" music video.Charts
Release history
References
Category:2007 singles
Category:2008 singles
Category:Ashlee Simpson songs
Category:Song recordings produced by Timbaland
Category:Songs written by Ashlee Simpson
Category:Song recordings produced by Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon
Category:Songs written by Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon
Category:2007 songs
Category:Songs written by Santigold
Category:Geffen Records singles
Category:Music videos directed by Alan Ferguson (director)
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